A SEFTON Council social worker has appeared in court on child sex offence charges following the investigation into paedophile Colin Blanchard.

Care practitioner Tracy Dawber, 43, of Guildford Road, Southport, Merseyside faced the allegations early yesterday morning at South Sefton Magistrates’ Court in Bootle, where she was hauled before JPs.

The 11 charges are as a result of an alleged link to 38-year-old Blanchard, a former Information Technology salesman who is originally from the Norris Green area of Liverpool.

Dawber, who was immediately suspended by Sefton Council from her role as a community care practitioner, faces four counts of possessing indecent images of children.

She faces five counts of permitting indecent images of children to be made and one charge of sexual assault on a child under 13.

She also faces a further count of facilitating the sexual assault of a child.

The mother pleaded not guilty to all counts during the hearing.

Charges against her are not linked to the Little Teds Nursery in Plymouth.

That case sparked massive public outrage and Blanchard admitted a string of child abuse offences at Bristol crown court last month alongside nursery worker Vanessa George and Angela Allen, both 39.

Blanchard, from Smallbridge, near Rochdale, Greater Manchester, is currently awaiting sentence alongside George, of Plymouth, and Allen, from Nottingham

Dawber was yesterday remanded in custody to appear before a committal hearing before JPs on December 30.

She wore a long black jumper and clutched her side in the secure glass- panelled dock throughout the hearing.

Chairman of the magistrates’ bench Mr David Dixon took the decision to refuse her bail.

The trial will be held at Liverpool crown court.

Dawber will appear by video link at the committal hearing.

She worked at Southport general hospital on behalf of Sefton Council as a community practitioner for some time.

And neighbours, who describe her as “pleasant”, say that she suffers from pain in both her legs and feet and she has recently put on lots of weight.

It is believed that Dawber is from a big family and has a number of siblings.

Her mother is of Irish descent and her father, who died last year, was originally from the Liverpool area.

A spokesman for Sefton Council told the Visiter last night that Dawber was suspended from her role and the authority is co-operating with the police with their enquiries.

He said: “As soon as we were made aware of these allegations a community care practitioner was immediately suspended.

“This person’s role involved assessing adults in hospital with a view to providing care support when patients return to the community.”

He added: “We are co-operating fully with the police and will be unable to comment further for legal reasons.”

Superintendent Peter Edge of Merseyside Police said: “Yesterday (Wednesday) a 43-year-old women from Southport was charged with a number of offences relating to possessing and making indecent images of a child and sexual activity with a child.

“She appeared in the magistrates court today and has been remanded in custody.

“I cannot comment on the investigation or go into any details of the case. The investigation is ongoing.

“However, we have received a number of calls today from concerned members of the public who thought she may have worked with children in the area.

“I would like to reassure people that the woman involved in this case does not work at a local nursery or school.”